CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Debate!

Today's rubbish cycling

(4503 posts)

  1. jdanielp
    Member

    @Greenroofer fortunately I don't think that this was me because my bike has a reflector at the back of the rack, rear pedal reflectors (still attached!), a pannier with reflective trim, and I was wearing a yellow jacket and cycling tights which at least have some reflective trim, but at some point on my cycle home on the canal my rear light did run out of battery, which is silly given that I had meant to re-charge it at work today but forgot...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  2. Greenroofer
    Member

    @jdanielp - no, definitely not you. This chap was dressed in dark colours, and was odd in that there was nothing reflecting back at me apart from one small spot of red that might have been part of a light. Like I said above, it is quite hard now to get a bike and cycling kit with no reflectives anywhere.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  3. SRD
    Moderator

    Several light-free bikes on NMW this evening - well after lighting up.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  4. geordiefatbloke
    Member

    Saw a good one last night, from a distance cyclist looked like he had no lights, as I passed turns out he did have a rear light, but positioned so as to be totally obscured by their rear mudguard. Brilliant.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  5. jdanielp
    Member

    There was a high standard of cycling today, mainly as a result of the reduction in the numbers of cyclists and pedestrians, and the fact that those who were braving it taking extra care, both due to the rather damp weather presumably...

    However, I did remember one other unusual incidient from yesteday morning. Where the canal briefly heads north as it runs alongside the city bypass, there is a brief narrowing of the towpath as it passes over a stream. A cyclist was approaching from out of town as I was heading from town, and we were on course to pass quite close to the narrow section, albeit the other cyclist would arrive there slightly before me. Passing at the narrow section is tight, but quite achieveable. At the last possible moment however, the other cyclist veered into the middle of the path to prevent me from passing there, causing me to unintentionally have to brake-check the cyclist behind me. Strange behaviour.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  6. tk
    Member

    The NEPN was fun last night - lots of cyclists with no lights, no reflectors and dark clothing. I counted 7 in all. There was a woman cycling shouting 'watch out' at everyone which I can only presume was to warn of these ninja cyclists although I did wonder for a second if she thought two bikes couldn't pass on opposite sides of the path near the Red Bridge when she shouted at the cyclist in front of me causing him to slam on the brakes.

    Add in the leaf sludge, fallen branches, ninja runners, ninja loose dogs and other delights and I'm thinking the road may have been a better option

    Posted 9 years ago #
  7. 559
    Member

    First time on NEPN for couple of months, apart from a attempted wheel sucker and some over bright lights, not too bad.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  8. wingpig
    Member

    Yesterday evening, rounding the left-hand turn before the right-hand turn onto Balbirnie Place, a nerk coming the other way passed me on my left, so desperate was he to cut the corner. Heavens knows how he treated the pedestrians on the Haymarket Yards path.

    Yesterday evening and this evening I saw the same pair of people consisting of a normally-lit leader and an overbright moron half an inch behind him heading anticlockwise on the NEPN. Presumably the one at the front knows the one at the back is there and is presumably OK with having a large them-shaped shadow preceding them along the path.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  9. Instography
    Member

    You know that thing where it's wet and you're moving off and standing and putting your foot into your pedal but kind of miss but catch the edge of the pedal, push down down but your foot slips off and your tender parts crash down onto the nose of your saddle? That.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    Maybe need a self-inflicted-injuries thread.

    Or maybe it would just OT to talk about the Labour Party(?)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  11. geordiefatbloke
    Member

    Was me a bit I think, pulled over to let a (flashing and sirens) ambulance get past and didn't make my intentions very clear to the cyclist behind me causing him to brake sharply, sorry if it was you.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  12. Kenny
    Member

    Me just now. Somehow lost concentration by looking at my Garmin, and instead hit the kerb going round a roundabout, spectacularly coming off my bike and rolling on the pavement. Right outside my work. Bugger. Jeans ripped, hand bleeding, but main symptom is feeling daft. Bike is fine though.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  13. The Boy
    Member

    I did similar the other day when I misjudged the curve of the road coming up towards the vehicle entrance of Craigleith(?) Sainsbos. Pedal strike, a rear wheel kicking out violently to the right and some slightly tender bits, but I managed to stay upright.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  14. algo
    Member

    In sympathy with @Instography and continuing the general theme of self-inflicted injuries - I pulled my cable lock through my back wheel with too little finesse outside Sainsbury's at Meadowbank the other day, resulting in a fair old whack to the unmentionables. Crouched for a while feeling sorry for myself in front of a pack of not overly sympathetic youf...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  15. Stickman
    Member

    The bloke who decided to undertake me just past the lights at Morrison St on the way to Haymarket. It gave me quite a start. His wee burst of speed to get past me didn't do him any good as I caught up with him immediately at the pedestrian crossing which was at red. I nearly said something to him but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  16. wingpig
    Member

    NEPN wheelsucker. He came up inside my left at the Lindsay/Ocean junction and was inches from my left elbow (I was in the middle of the lane to stop people trying to get through before the traffic-island pinch-point) when I turned left onto the Hawthornvale path. I went slower than normal as far as the junction with the path through Victoria Park to see if he was going to continue his trying-to-go-faster-than-me and actually go past, but he did not, so I slowed and turned and advised him of my disinclination to remain happy about someone being so close behind, then continued at my slightly slower-than-normal pace. He came closer still muttering something about races and cycle paths, despite his attempted left-side overtakes on the road earlier, but I refrained from swearing when repeating my desire for him to either stay right back or get right past, given the presence of other path users and lots of slidey leaves. He went past whilst still honking on about something or other then proceeded as far as the slipway down to West Granton Access at a speed somewhere between what I would normally do and what I'd been doing to try and get him to go past, as observed from what I hoped he realised was a safe/non-creepy distance behind.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  17. jdanielp
    Member

    The lady on the folding bike who cycling onto the shared use path to the north of HW campus just ahead of me, but then proceeded to abruptly stop dead to talk to someone that she knew who was walking along the path forcing me to brake sharply on a wet and leafy surface. Luckily I stayed upright and managed to squeeze in between them.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  18. Min
    Member

    a safe/non-creepy distance behind

    I prefer to think it was safe but creepy. :-)

    Posted 9 years ago #
  19. Greenroofer
    Member

    Today's un-rubbish cycling comment. Riding away from Peter's Yard behind chrisfl, it struck me how competent he was. He seemed confident, assertive, quick, observant and considerate of other road users. This got me thinking about other CCE'ers I've ridden with: (IWRATS, HankChief and Biketrain spring to mind), to whom the same applies.

    Which comes first? Do you become a CCE'er and then find out about these skills of effective riding, or is it that the kind of people who bother to acquire these skills are the kind of people who 'care' about cycling and who join CCE as a result.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    "or is it that the kind of people who bother to acquire these skills are the kind of people who 'care' about cycling and who join CCE as a result"

    Now there's a question.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  21. I were right about that saddle
    Member

    "Now there's a question."

    If only we could chew it over a tankard of ale some time...

    Posted 9 years ago #
  22. Bruce
    Member

    RLJ:

    This morning at Craiglockhart Campus 4 way.

    Orange jacket clad cyclist looks sheepishas he approaches ASL, glances over at me and another cyclist, then throws one leg over his bike and proceeds to run the red light whilst there is a green man.

    "You might want to wait for the green light" I shout.

    "Thats why I've slowed down and anyway f**k you" he retorts.

    Thats okay then I suppose if you slow down and throw one leg over to pretend to be at least half walking.

    "Have a good day" I shout back

    Posted 9 years ago #
  23. Lady on George Street this morning east to west. Little blinky red light on the right upper arm, and bright yellow sash on, therefore safety conscious. No patience at the cycle lights (yes, I know they take a long while, but given everything else there is light controlled you’re running the risk someone comes onto the roundabout thinking the way is going to be clear, and apart from anything else it’s double standards to beseech all motorists to stop at the reds while cyclign through them yourself). Just as I was catching before the next crossing, pedestrians step out onto the crossing from the left, another about to do so from the right, and she cycles straight through (the old lady crossing thanked me for stopping, so I think it was certainly noted that the rider before had gone through). She got the lights that I didn’t after that (got caught at the end of George Street, turning onto Princes Street, the bottom of Lothian Road, and halfway up – light fairy didn’t like me this morning) so there was no chance to point out the muppetry that sat ironically with the safety equipment she had chosen to don.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  24. dougal
    Member

    Every time a pedestrian thanks me for stopping at lights/zebra crossing it makes me want to barrel through the next one. The idea that I need patted on the head for being able to follow the law really grates.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  25. wingpig
    Member

    Every time a pedestrian thanks me for stopping at lights/zebra crossing it makes me glad that I do currently and shall continue to stop.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  26. twq
    Member

    In the rain on Grassmarket this morning, I slowed for a ped waiting at the zebra crossing. Possibly a cycler himself, he waved me through. I thanked him and carried on, failing to see the man crossing from the other side until I was on the crossing. No danger of collision, but I still felt bad.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  27. paul.mag
    Member

    When I cross a road at a zebra crossing and someone stops I always raise my hand in acknowledgement. I know everyone should stop at these but not everyone does so I thank the courteous people.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  28. I'm with wingpig.

    Posted 9 years ago #
  29. Kenny
    Member

    +1 wingpig / WC

    Posted 9 years ago #
  30. paddyirish
    Member

    Me too. I have low expectations and any time anyone exceeds them, I acknowledge them...

    Posted 9 years ago #

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